|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
The magic is back
By Tim Griffin, Special to CNNSI.com It's the matchup that helped give us the Boz and Barry, Johnny Rodgers and Jerry Tagge, Dr. Tom and "Sooner Magic." Nebraska and Oklahoma dominated the old Big Eight Conference over the years, developing into two of the nation's most feared football powers. Six times in a 25-year stretch the winner of the game went on to claim the national championship. Six more times, the winner played for the national title in a bowl game. The Sooners and the Huskers hooked up in the "Game of the Century" in 1971 and the "Game of the Century II" in 1987. Saturday's game between the two schools -- the first since 1997 because of the Big 12's unbalanced schedule -- will make a little bit more history. The Cornhuskers and Sooners are 1-2 in the initial Bowl Championship Series poll, giving college football its first regular-season matchup between the top two teams in the poll. The winner of Saturday's game likely will be the No. 1 team in the BCS next month. "At this point and time you look at Nebraska and Oklahoma as deserving," Nebraska coach Frank Solich said. "We've got a challenging schedule to finish with an improving Kansas, Kansas State, and Colorado after this week. If we get through that, then we should be deserving of No. 1. Oklahoma has done everything they can do to put themselves in the position they are in." When the Cornhuskers disappeared from Oklahoma's schedule in 1997, Nebraska had won the last seven games of the series. The final two games were Nebraska's 73-21 thrashing in 1996 and the Cornhuskers' 69-7 shellacking the following year. Oklahoma defensive back J.T. Thatcher was a starting running back in that final game in 1997, pairing with fullback Seth Littrell as a pair of freshman starting running backs. "It was really tough for us, but exciting," Thatcher said. "After playing Nebraska, I knew that college was going to be a lot different from high school. Everybody was hitting twice as hard as what I had experienced." Less than three years later, the Sooners have bottomed up and appear to be rising faster than any team in the country. OU's confidence is surging after huge upset victories over Texas and Kansas State before taking last week off. "The last time I saw excitement like this around here was in 1985, when it seemed like we were playing for a national championship every year," said Thatcher, a Norman native. The transformation occurred after the arrival of Bob Stoops, who has turned around the program in less than two years. Since his arrival, the Sooners have averaged 40 points a game and scored no less than 24 points in any game. They will face a Nebraska team that has been streaking after a players-only meeting before their game against Texas Tech two weeks ago. Since then, the Cornhuskers have outscored their last two opponents, 115-3. "Nebraska and Oklahoma have had great games over the course of the years," Solich said. "There's going to be great athletes on both sides of the ball in Saturday's game and this should be a great game." Revenge timeKansas State will meet Texas A&M on Saturday for the first time since the Aggies' dramatic 1998 Big 12 Championship Game victory over the Wildcats. The Aggies rallied behind backup quarterback Branndon Stewart to overcome a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit and claim a 36-33 double-overtime triumph and their first Big 12 football championship. "I still have some good emotions from that game," Texas A&M coach R.C. Slocum said. "It was a fun game for us. They had a great football team and I imagine people on both sides, people still remember that game. But I wouldn't think it would have much effect on this game." In a bit of gamesmanship leading up to this week's game, Slocum said the Aggies will not release their injuries this week. Kansas State traditionally has not released its injuries throughout coach Bill Snyder's coaching tenure. "I don't question their right to do it," Slocum said. "If that's their policy, it doesn't make a lot of sense for us to give out our injuries if they don't."
Wildcats look to rescue offenseKansas State's struggling offense hopes to rebound against the Aggies after a lethargic 28-23 triumph over Texas Tech. The Wildcats floundered early as they attempted to rebound from a loss to Oklahoma that snapped their 25-game home winning streak. Of KSU's first 10 possessions, six were three-and-outs. They also struggled with a safety and two fourth-down possessions ended with interceptions that Jonathan Beasley threw into the end zone. "We punted five times in the first quarter, and I don't remember punting that many times all year," senior running back David Allen said. KSU's Snyder said the earlier loss is no excuse for his team's lack of intensity against the Red Raiders. "That loss may have contributed to some of the inconsistencies this week," Snyder said. "That's a possibility. But I think we're moving in the right direction. If you've been around here very long, you've got a lot to be confident about. Nobody likes to lose a ballgame, but against Oklahoma, we didn't play well enough to win. Against Texas Tech, we played well enough to win, but we didn't play like we're capable of." Cyclones' party crashedIowa State coach Dan McCarney did not select an offensive player of the week after the Cyclones' struggles in a 30-7 loss to Texas A&M. The Cyclones fell behind 30-0 and failed to score until the final two minutes of the game."There wasn't anybody who played very well on offense," McCarney said. "We didn't give out a most valuable player award on offense because nobody deserved it. Nobody played well. We were almost inept trying to run the ball or throw it on Saturday." The Cyclones again will try for their sixth victory on Saturday against Missouri. A win would make them eligible their first bowl since 1978 - the longest drought in the Big 12. McCarney acknowledged that bowl excitement might have contributed to his team's flat performance against the Aggies. "I think it's just natural," McCarney said. "We talked all week about playing A&M, but you can't help that after 22 years, there will be talk and publicity about it [a bowl]. It's a fact of life and a real possibility, but this week will be about getting our team back on track and not looking past Missouri, because we'll have our hands full."
Jayhawks send Buffs further reelingKansas students were chastised by Kansas coach Terry Allen after they unsuccessfully attempted to rip down the goal posts at Memorial Stadium to celebrate the Jayhawks' homecoming victory over Colorado."Hopefully, we're beyond celebrating when we beat a 1-5 football team," Allen said. The Buffs became the first Big 12 team to be eliminated from bowl consideration. They will miss a bowl game for the first time since 1997 and only the second time in the last 13 seasons. Colorado is off to its worst start since going 1-10 in the 1984 season. "Our team has a choice to make," Colorado coach Gary Barnett said. "There's going to be a lot of people that are going to give up on them. Understandably so. They have a choice. They can either join that group, or they can pull themselves closer together. Those who don't join that other group are the ones that are going to look within themselves for a way to come back."
Worth notingKansas State backup WR Brice Libel blocked his fourth career punt, setting up a touchdown against Texas Tech. ... Eighteen snaps into Nebraska's game against Baylor, the Cornhuskers already held a 21-0 lead. ... Texas QB Major Applewhite broke the school record with three touchdown passes against Missouri. Applewhite now has 55 TD aerials, breaking the previous record of 53 set by James Brown. ... Of the 132 players who dressed for Nebraska's game against Baylor, 115 saw action. ... Colorado has scored one offensive touchdown in the last eight quarters. Buffs TB Cortlen Johnson is doubtful for Saturday's game against Oklahoma State with a bum shoulder. ... The last five times Missouri has played in the state of Texas, it has rained. ... Kansas needs to split its final four games to become bowl eligible. The Jayhawks' final four opponents are 22-7. ... David Allen's two punt returns for 65 yards left him 78 yards behind Lee Nalley for the NCAA career punt-return yardage record.Tim Griffin covers the Big 12 for the San Antonio Express-News. Check back every Tuesday afternoon for his latest CNNSI.com insider.
| ||||||||||||||||
